Getting Better at the Craft Developing Basketball Officials - Nice Call Ref

How does a basketball official go from simply knowing the rules to truly mastering the craft? In Episode 2 of Nice Call Ref, the official podcast of the Des Moines Officials Association (DMOA), we are joined by Donnie Epley, Executive Director of the International Association of Approved Basketball Officials (IAABO) and an experienced college basketball conference supervisor. DMOA President Scott Van Beck and Vice President for Basketball Chris Thomas join the conversation as Donnie explains how IAABO helps basketball officials learn, develop, and improve throughout their careers. The discussion explores IAABO University, year-round training, continuing education, mentoring, rules and mechanics, and new learning opportunities designed for officials at every experience level. The group also tackles a larger challenge facing officiating: Are officials trying to advance too quickly? Donnie discusses why building a strong foundation matters, the danger of skipping steps, and why patience and continued development are essential for officials who want to move to higher levels. In this episode: • What IAABO offers basketball officials • IAABO University and year-round official training • Continuing education for veteran officials • Building a strong foundation in rules and mechanics • Why standardized training matters • Mentoring and professional development • The state of high school basketball officiating • Why some officials may be advancing too quickly • The importance of patience in an officiating career • How DMOA and IAABO support officials who want to improve DMOA is proud to be part of IAABO as Board 295. Learn more about the Des Moines Officials Association at desmoinesofficials.com .Learn more about IAABO and its training opportunities at iaabo.org. Without game officials, it's just recess. Nice Call Ref is a production of the Des Moines Officials Association.